Restoring Multilateral Trade Co-operation: Developing country woes

After the relative success of the Bali deal the WTO faced a familiar foe, apathy. In what has become the 14th year of the Doha round stalemate the organisation needs ideas to revive dialogue especially on the different positions economies hold on emerging trends in global trade. Therefore, the project on restoring multilateral trade co-operation is in part a response to years of stagnation in ministerial gatherings, combined with the threat posed by plurilateral and megaregional negotiations diverting developed states’ attention away from the putative Doha development agenda.

The project focuses on the future of the WTO from the view point of key developing states, and their broader regions, and draws out major concerns arising from these quarters. As the Coordinator of the South African round table, Peter Draper discusses the project overview in an interview with the host, the South African Institute of International Affairs.

The WTO Project on restoring multilateral trade co-operation resources page is available on this SAIIA webpage which hosts a number of publications including presentations, research papers, reports, and recommendations on restoring multilateral trade co-operation.